Affordable Connectivity Program FAQs

What was the Affordable Connectivity Program?
The Federal Government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was a longer-term $14 billion program that helped eligible low-income households that qualified based on Federal Government rules pay for Internet or Mobile service. It helped ensure Americans can afford the connections they need for work, school, health care and more.

Congress has not approved additional funding for the ACP. As a result, April 2024 was the last month in which the full ACP benefit was applied, with a partial benefit provided for May 2024. Beginning in June 2024, no full or partial ACP credit will be provided. While the outcome of the ACP was beyond our control, Optimum is fully committed to providing you with affordable Internet options to keep you connected. Please call 866.432.1184 to explore alternative packages.

Why did the ACP end?
Federal funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program has been depleted and Congress has not approved additional funding to keep the program running. As a result, April 2024 was the last month in which the full ACP benefit was applied, with a partial benefit provided for May 2024. Beginning in June 2024, no full or partial ACP credit will be provided.

What happens now that the Affordable Connectivity Program has ended?
The federal funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program is depleted and the FCC announced that the last fully funded month was April 2024 with a partial benefit provided for May 2024. Beginning in June 2024, no full or partial ACP credit will be provided. Now that the Affordable Connectivity Program has ended, your bill will continue to reflect the services and pricing as of that date without the Affordable Connectivity Program credit. This means that you'll be charged the regular, undiscounted, rate for the services you selected until canceled, and you'll be subject to our regular terms and conditions. While the outcome of the ACP was beyond our control, Optimum is fully committed to providing you with affordable Internet options to keep you connected. Please call 866.432.1184 to explore alternative packages.

I applied to transfer my Affordable Connectivity benefit from another service provider to Optimum Internet or Optimum Mobile. What is the status?
Optimum no longer allows customers to transfer their ACP benefit from another service provider to Optimum Internet or Optimum Mobile because the program has ended. The federal funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program is depleted and Congress has not approved additional funding. As a result, April 2024 was the last month in which the full ACP benefit was applied, with a partial benefit provided for May 2024. Beginning in June 2024, no full or partial ACP credit will be provided.

As a reminder, we allowed customers to transfer their ACP benefit from other service providers to Optimum prior to the program ending. If the transfer was approved while the ACP was still running, the monthly credit was applied within the next two bills.

While the outcome of the ACP was beyond our control, Optimum is fully committed to providing you with affordable Internet options to keep you connected. Please call 866.432.1184 to explore alternative packages.

I received an email saying I was approved but the credit was not applied to my account. What happened?
Per our review and approval process, customers were notified of the status of their Optimum ACP enrollment application within 5 business days. If approved, the credit would be applied within the next two bills. As a reminder, the last fully funded month of the ACP was April 2024 with a partial benefit provided May 2024. Beginning in June 2024, no full or partial ACP credit will be provided. As a result, the date on which your bill was created may have impacted whether or not your benefit was applied during the final days of the program.

I'm an Optimum customer who participated in ACP. What can you do for me?
We are committed to providing you with affordable package options to keep you connected. If you wish to keep your current service level, no action is required. If you want to explore alternative packages, please call 866.432.1184.